Gyratory crushers (or cone crushers) are well established machines that are used for crushing rocks, ore, and other materials. They are very large and their basic structure comprises a bowl shaped as a cone with the wider end of the cone near the top of the crusher. A conical head assembly is located on the axis of the bowl, and the head assembly is oriented so that its smaller dimension is at the top of the crusher. To perform the crushing action, independent motions are applied to the conical head assembly. The first is rotation and the second is gyration.
In the typical gyratory crusher, large material is fed into the top between the large opening of the bowl and the small end of the head assembly where the volume is largest. The gyration of the head assembly is furnished by an eccentric drive, the rotation is driven by a gear, and vertical support and minor vertical adjustment is furnished by a hydraulic support. All these parts are located at the bottom of the crusher at the bottom of the conical head assembly. The combination of the rotation and the gyration applies forces that crush the pieces of material, and they fall lower into the reduced space within the bowl as they are reduced in size. Ultimately the material leaves the crusher through openings at the bottom of the crusher.
A typical gyratory crusher has a thick metal shell that is typically cast. It can be appreciated that these large castings can require long lead times, and a result only a limited number of potential suppliers are available. In addition, the thick metal shell is expensive.
Accordingly, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a concrete gyratory shell can be used to replace a significant portion of the casting needed. It can be appreciated that a concrete gyratory shell can replace the thick metal shell, and which is easier to manufacture, at a lower cost and with reduced lead time.